Assistance considerations...
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Expenditures made by a State during the calendar year are eligible for Federal reimbursement. States receiving Federal assistance submit claims for reimbursement in July for the Federal share of the cost of actual expenditures between January 1 and June 30 of the year, and in January for Federal share of the cost of actual expenditures between July and December 31 of the year.
Formula and Matching Requirements
This program has no statutory formula. The Federal Pipeline Safety Law authorizes Federal reimbursement of up to 50 percent of a State's expenditure during the year for personnel, equipment, and activities reasonably required by the State agency for the conduct of its pipeline safety program. The Law further stipulates that the State expenditures in any given year, without Federal assistance, cannot be less than the average amount expended by the State for gas pipeline safety during fiscal years 1967 and 1968 and for the last 2 fiscal years preceding the date of enactment of the Pipeline Safety Acts. The State agency must also agree to provide the remaining cost of the safety program(s). Within these limitations, the available funds are allocated by a method designed to reflect the degree to which a State has met certain goals established. The allocation is determined by assigning point values to the States for having achieved certain levels of program participation, dividing this point score by the sum of the States' point scores, and multiplying this ratio by the amount available for the distribution. RSPA distributed the remaining funds according to certain criteria designed to seek improvements in State programs. The criteria used by RSPA were extent of intrastate jurisdiction, inspector qualifications, recommended number of inspection person-days, State adoption of applicable Federal regulations, and other relevant criteria. In 2000, the Federal allocations represented 40 percent of the estimated State requests in the natural gas program (range: 34 to 42 percent) and the Federal allocations represented 40 percent of the estimated State requests in the hazardous liquid program (range: 36 to 46 percent).
Note:
A formula may be based on population, per capita income, and other statistical factors. Applicants are informed whether there are any matching requirements to be met when participating in the cost of a project. In general, the matching share represents that portion of the project costs not borne by the Federal government. Attachment F of OMB Circular No. A-102 (Office of Management and Budget) sets forth the criteria and procedures for the evaluation of matching share requirements which may be cash or in-kind contributions made by State and local governments or other agencies, institutions, private organizations, or individuals to satisfy matching requirements of Federal grants or loans.
Cash contributions represent the grantees' cash outlay, including the outlay of money contributed to the grantee by other public agencies, institutions, private organizations, or individuals. When authorized by Federal regulation, Federal funds received from other grants may be considered as the grantees' cash contribution.
In-kind contributions represent the value of noncash contributions provided by the grantee, other public agencies and institutions, private organizations or individuals. In-kind contributions may consist of charges for real property and equipment, and value of goods and services directly benefiting and specifically identifiable to the grant program. When authorized by Federal legislation, property purchased with Federal funds may be considered as grantees' in-kind contribution.
Maintenance of effort (MOE) is a requirement contained in certain legislation, regulations, or administrative policies stating that a grantee must maintain a specified level of financial effort in a specific area in order to receive Federal grant funds, and that the Federal grant funds may be used only to supplement, not supplant, the level of grantee funds.